Herbert Hoover: The life of a US President
Herbert Hoover week: October 4-10, 1999 on C-SPAN
Recommended Use: Secondary level

Before Viewing American Presidents
Present to students the following quote from Herbert Hoover
(also heard at the outset of the biographical vignette featuring
the president on C-SPAN's American Presidents series.)

"I prefer to think of Iowa as I saw it through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy.
Those were eyes filled with the wonders of Iowa's streams and woods.
They saw days filled with adventure, with participation in good and
comforting things."

Tell students they will compile a scrapbook of Herbert Hoover's life.
The scrapbook will be a collection of photographs, letters, grade reports,
ticket stubs, postcards, and other memorabilia that reflects one stage,
or all the stages of President Hoover's life.

Have students consider their own scrapbooks. What is in it? Or, if they
don't have scrapbooks, elicit examples of what it would contain to
commemorate the various stages of their lives: a copy of a birth
certificate; a letter home from camp; a scrap of a favorite blanket; a
program from a school play.

Students can conduct some preliminary research and make predictions about
the types of items that may be in Herbert Hoover's scrapbook. Work
together to generate some possible answers.

While Viewing American Presidents
Directions: Take notes on the various stages of Herbert Hoover's life. In
the right-hand column, jot down ideas for scrapbook items that would
commemorate this period.

Herbert Hoover Worksheet

Notes

Scrapbook Item

1. Childhood in Iowa

2. Youth in Oregon

3. Stanford

4. Relationship with Lou

4. Early career

5. Early public service career

6. Secretary of Commerce

7. Campaign for president

8. Presidency

9. Life after the presidency

After Viewing American Presidents
Instuct students to create the scrapbook by reflecting on the research
they have completed.
The items should commemorate and provide insight into Herbert Hoover's
life and personality, likes and dislikes, friends and family. The
identification and context of each item should either be self-evident or
explained in a label. The labels may serve as commentary, in the actual
words of Herbert Hoover.